Students and parents urge county support for WJCC lacrosse program funding

A coalition of students, parents and club coaches told the Board of Supervisors they want the county to help fund a $225,000 request from Williamsburg-James City County (WJCC) schools to make lacrosse an official Virginia High School League sport.

Vernon Getty, speaking as a parent and local business owner, framed the $225,000 ask as a tiny fraction of the county general fund and said it would cover transportation and program management that currently keeps lacrosse largely in the club realm. "The $225,000 request is 0.0008 percent of the total budget," Getty said, arguing the outcome would broaden access.

Student speakers described lacrosse as a stabilizing activity and a pathway to college recruitment that is harder to access without VHSL designation. "If lacrosse becomes a VHSL sport, it would create equal access to opportunities," said Sofia Healy, who said the sport helped her adjust after multiple moves. Jamestown High School junior Samantha Delozier said college coaches don't visit club-less high school teams: "Because our high school lacrosse program is not a VHSL sport, college coaches are not coming to see us play."

Parents and the local Lafayette Rams club noted typical season registration and equipment costs (speaker estimates included $235 registration and equipment up to $1,000 per player) and said school-based teams would reduce pay-to-play barriers for many families. Speakers asked supervisors to consider the funding request as part of the broader budget review; board members acknowledged the school system must decide whether to use county funds for lacrosse if the money is provided.